Chicago News & Updates for Travel Professionals: August 2018

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The new Chicago Architecture Center debuts, Punch Bowl Social opens its first Chicago location, The Berghoff is adding a microbrewery, O’Hare International Airport to undergo an $8.5 billion expansion, Ace Hotel Chicago is named one of the best new hotels in the world.

New Chicago Architecture Center Debuts

The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s new Chicago Architecture Center officially opens on August 31. The stunning new space will offer the CAF’s world-famous tours, along with interactive exhibits that tell the stories behind the city’s architectural marvels. During the first week of August, select walking and bus tours will begin operating from the Architecture Center.

Pacific Standard Time Opens in River North

The highly anticipated Pacific Standard Time has opened in the River North neighborhood. Helmed by acclaimed chef/co-owner Erling Wu-Bower, the restaurant focuses on California-style fare ranging from swordfish to Asian-influenced ricotta dumplings. Pacific Standard Time features a chef’s counter and an airy 60-seat private dining room.

Punch Bowl Social Opens its First Chicago Location

Punch Bowl Social has opened its first Chicago location in the hot West Loop neighborhood. The 30,000-sq.-ft. space offers private karaoke rooms, a bocce court, bowling, and arcade and virtual reality games. James Beard Award-winning chef Hugh Acheson is the brains behind the Southern-inspired menu.

The Berghoff is Adding a Microbrewery to its Loop Restaurant

Chicago’s historic Berghoff restaurant will begin producing its own beer once more with the addition of a new 10-barrel microbrewery to be located in its 143-year-old Loop building. The Berghoff will produce German-style beers, along with experimental small batch brews.

O’Hare International Airport to Undergo $8.5 Billion Expansion

The City of Chicago has plans for an $8.5 billion expansion of O’Hare International Airport that would include the construction of a new state-of-the-art terminal and the addition of dozens of new gates in an effort to create a global aviation hub. Wider concourses and gates would accommodate larger aircraft for international flights.

Ace Hotel Chicago Makes Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List of the Best New Hotels in the World

Ace Hotel Chicago made the Hot List of the 102 Best New Hotels in the World, as chosen by Condé Nast Traveler’s team of intrepid global editors. It was noted that a stay at the hotel “is well worth it for the insider access to a great restaurant, skyline-framing rooftop bar and exposure to local art.”

TripAdvisor Names Chicago River Architecture Cruise the Second-Most Popular Attraction in the World

Chicago’s popular Chicago River Architecture Cruise nabbed second-place honors in TripAdvisor’s roundup of the top 10 most popular attractions around the world during 2017. The ranking reinforced TripAdvisor’s findings that tourists continue to seek out iconic sites and landmarks in the cities they visit.